1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector device with a fitting adjustment mechanism, and in particular to a connector device including one of a female and a male connectors to be fitted together in order to accomplish electrical connection therebetween, in which a fitting adjustment mechanism for adjusting positional deviation between the female and male connectors when these connectors are fitted together is provided on the female or male connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the known connector devices with a fitting adjustment mechanism for adjusting positional deviation between a female and a male connector when these connectors are fitted together is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 57-145284.
The known connector device comprises a female and a male connector to be fitted together, and a fitting adjustment mechanism. The fitting adjustment mechanism of the known connector device comprises a pair of first bellows-like leaf springs attached at one end thereof to the female connector so as to allow displacement of the female connector along the X direction in a plane and a pair of second bellows-like leaf springs attached at one end thereof to the male connector so as to allow displacement of the male connector along the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction within the same plane. The first and second bellows-like leaf springs are at the other ends attached to different parts, respectively. Therefore, in accordance with this connector device, a positional deviation between the female and male connectors when these connectors are fitted can be absorbed by elastic deformation of the leaf springs of the fitting adjustment mechanism.
The known connector device has an advantage that the positional deviation between the female and male connectors can be corrected with ease. On the other hand, however, in the known connector device with a fitting adjustment mechanism, there are disadvantages such as follows:
(1) Since the leaf springs have to be attached to each of the connectors, respectively, it was difficult to manufacture the connector device.
(2) Since both connectors are elastically supported by the leaf springs, the connectors swing relative to one another when they are fitted, thus leading to difficulty of the fitting operation of the connectors. Further, since the connectors may still swing after the connectors are fitted together, the electrical connection between the connectors may deteriorate due to looseness of the fitting state between the connectors.